A windswept, ash-laced climb to the rim of Mount St. Helens, where clear skies, brutal scree, and hard-earned safety decisions meet a summit that’s less postcard payoff and more visceral lesson in geology, humility, and preparedness.

An unplanned push from Yosemite Falls to El Capitan turns into an 18-mile adventure of grit, views, and a flashlight-lit descent.